Latest news with #GrandCentral
Metro
15 hours ago
- Business
- Metro
'Underrated' UK seaside town gets train to London for first time in 30 years
A beloved UK seaside town could finally be reconnected to the capital after decades of being cut off from direct rail links. For the first time since 1992, direct trains could soon be running from Cleethorpes to London, reconnecting the Lincolnshire seaside town to the capital after more than 30 years. The last time direct services were running between the two destinations, John Major was Prime Minister, Whitney Houston was topping the charts, and the first text messages were being sent. However, that could soon change as rail operator Grand Central submitted an application to reintroduce services back in March. It hopes to connect Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Habrough, and Scunthorpe with London King's Cross as early as December 2026. If approved, there would be four return services a day, creating more than 775,000 additional seats each year and potentially unlocking £30.1 million annually for the region. 'This isn't just about attracting future investment into our town, it's about addressing missed economic and social opportunities due to current poor connectivity,' said Melanie Onn, the MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes. After delays in getting plans underway, MPs met again in May to discuss the proposal, with Simon Lightwood, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for transport, saying the Department's view will be passed on 'in due course'. Paul Hutchings, managing director responsible for Grand Central, previously commented on the plans: 'If approved, these services will play a pivotal role in driving regional growth by linking underserved communities to key commercial opportunities, benefiting both local businesses and passengers.' Nothing is set in stone just yet, and there's no confirmation on how much tickets will cost if the direct service is approved. However, Grand Central said it hopes to have the trains running by December 2026. At the moment, getting to Cleethorpes from London requires multiple changes. Passengers typically have to take the train from Cleethorpes to Scunthorpe, to Scunthorpe to Doncaster and from there to King's Cross. The journey takes just under four hours in total, and that's assuming all trains run on time. It will set you back around £25 for a one-way ticket on Trainline. There's plenty to explore once you get to the seaside town, and, of course, the top activity is the beach. Expect arcades and fish and chip shops along the promenade and a Victorian-era pier to stroll along. The beach has a four-star rating on TripAdvisor, based on hundreds of reviews. One user, 'Roger B', said: 'Cleethorpes is so underrated. The promenade is clean with a lovely waterfall.' Others described it as a 'beautiful beach', boasting that the sand was 'soft' and 'clean'. Cleethorpes boating lake is another main attraction. Visitors can hire pedal boats, feed the ducks or enjoy a stroll around the water. There are also lots of independent shops, cafes and beachfront pubs to explore. And, if all goes to plan, it may be easier for Londoners to make a day trip there. More Trending If you're after visiting another underrated UK seaside town, why not take a trip to Treardurr Bay, which was named the UK's best coastal gem earlier this year. The beach lies just south of Holyhead in Wales and has been praised as one of the 'most prestigious beaches in Anglesey'. Not only does it have 'crystal clear waters,' but it's relatively quiet, so you won't find yourself competing with hundreds of other beachgoers for a spot. The research, conducted by Insure4Boats, analysed Met Office data, local attractions and social media comments across more than 250 coastal towns. It described the bay as the 'perfect playground for water sports enthusiasts with kayak and paddleboard rental available.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: SXSW London: Five live performances, film showcases and talks you must see MORE: Rock legend, 78, wheeled off stage in coffin during bizarre exit MORE: 'SXSW London will be a love letter to the city – we ought to be here'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
NYC subway rider stabbed in Grand Central by maniac blocking elevator
A subway rider was stabbed in the hand and punched in the nose during an argument over a bike that was blocking elevator doors at NYC's Grand Central Station early Saturday, cops said. The victim, 28, was on the mezzanine level of the 7 train waiting for the elevator at around 9 a.m. when he and the cyclist began beefing over the bike, cops said. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. The punch left him with a cut on his nose, cops said. Police were looking for video of the incident and searching for the attacker.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
We don't need to nationalise our railways to fix them
One of the new Labour Government's first acts was to hand a big wedge of taxpayer cash to already well-paid train drivers, along with a promise of more as rolling rail renationalisation steadily tightens its grip over the next few years. But it hasn't worked. Train strikes have carried on regardless, and now The Telegraph reports there are calls for even more taxpayer subsidies too. It's a grim comment on how bad our railways have become that going back to the 1970s now seems like a good idea. It doesn't have to be this way. There's a proven alternative that passengers are already using, and which they prefer to the big and increasingly state-run monopoly services which let them down so often. Open Access operators like Lumo, Grand Central and Hull Trains are hugely popular and successful because they're cheaper, more reliable and have happier staff with fewer strikes than their government-mandated rivals. The same is true for rail freight too, which has thrived and prospered under an entirely Open Access regime for years. Rather than renationalising, we should boost Open Access services by allowing them to take on more and more of the timetable, and to add new services as well. The state monopolies would be left running a steadily-shrinking rump of services which Open Access providers hadn't yet replaced with something passengers liked better. Even loss-making services could be covered if Open Access firms bid to run them for a lower subsidy than before. This new approach would transform Britain's railways. Rival rail firms would compete for passengers on each route, offering a variety of different prices, quality and styles of service. This would be driven by the knowledge their customers could switch to a rival's service at any time if it was better. The new world would be more resilient too, because when things went wrong with one provider's services other firms would keep operating. And it would be more future-proof with fewer quangos and less red tape as well, because firms could launch new services quickly, at their own risk, without having to wait and see if officials or politicians would approve. Most fundamentally, it would turn Network Rail from a loss-making, subsidy-hungry public bureaucracy into an efficient, commercially-successful and valuable business, because they'd earn their living from rail firms paying a fair price to use the tracks. Suddenly, Network Rail staff would have strong incentives to boost revenues by using safer new technologies to run more services than today, and to cut bloated costs so they could maintain, improve and expand the network far more efficiently in the future as well. Last but certainly not least: the Chancellor of the Exchequer would like it too. Rail subsidies have mushroomed since the pandemic, creating major headaches for a Labour Government that's facing mounting tax and spending pressures almost everywhere they look, with a particularly vicious public spending settlement due in the next few weeks. But switching to Open Access would cut subsidies for the first time in years, creating much-needed headroom in the Treasury's figures. In spite of all this, Labour won't do it. Partly because they're ideologically wedded to renationalisation anyway, but partly because the last Conservative Government allowed nationalisation to become politically entrenched as the only alternative to the timetable meltdowns and strikes that destroyed the old rail franchises. That was a huge mistake, particularly when Open Access was – and still is – a proven, popular alternative that's standing at the platform and ready to depart. It's an argument which we made repeatedly in the dog days of the last Conservative Government, but failed to prod our successors into action. If we'd successfully established Open Access as the practical, growing alternative to renationalisation, Labour's prejudices might have had closer scrutiny. We would no longer have been offering electors a ghastly choice between dreadful 1970s British Rail or failed noughties franchising. Instead the question would have been: 'do you want our railways to move forward or back?' For anyone who's travelled on an Open Access train, or is just plain fed up with having no alternative when their local service lets them down, the answer is easy. Let's hope we will be brave enough to ask it clearly whenever the next election comes around.
Miami Herald
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
This Michelin-praised restaurant announced it's ‘pressing pause' in Coconut Grove
Another Michelin-recognized restaurant in Miami is closing, this time after only a year. Sereia, the Portuguese restaurant from chef Henrique Sá Pessoa and the Miami-based Sault Hospitality, announced that the restaurant's last day of service will be May 31 on Instagram. The post hints that the closing of the upscale restaurant at 3450 Main Hwy. in Coconut Grove is temporary, perhaps just for the season, although there is no specified reopening date and the tone of the post betrays more than a little wistfulness. 'As the tides shift and the heat of summer settles in, we at Sereia are pressing pause to rest, recharge, and dream up new flavors for the season ahead,' the post says. 'Our final dinner service before the break will be on Saturday, May 31st. This quiet stretch of time allows us to reconnect with everything that inspire us — the sea, the seasons, and the soulful ingredients that define our tables. Let's make these final evening ones to remember. 'Come raise a glass, indulge in your favorite dishes, and help us celebrate a beautiful season while we reflect on all the joy, beauty, and connection that filled these walls.' The post went on to thank guests for 'your warmth and presence at Sereia and your continued support. You are part of the magic that makes this space what it is. We look forward to welcoming you back soon, with new stories to tell and flavors to share.' Sereia, located along a quiet stretch next to Chef Michael Beltran's Ariete, was the first U.S. restaurant for Sá Pessoa, who's best known as the force behind Alma in Lisbon, which earned two Michelin stars. 'We're not a traditional Portuguese restaurant,' he told the Miami Herald when Sereia opened last spring. 'But we still wanted to keep the rustic flavors of Portuguese cuisine.' The kitchen, led by chef de cuisine Miguel Massens, focused on a seafood-heavy menu, including one of Sá Pessoa's signature dishes, the stunning bacalau a brás, made with salted cod and fried string potatoes with an egg on top. The restaurant was added to the 2025 Michelin Guide in January, along with Cotoa, Grand Central, Palma, Torno Subito and Itamae Ao, which went on to earn a Michelin star. Grand Central, at 7919 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami, is also temporarily closed. The Sereia news comes on the heels of another Michelin-starred restaurant announcing its closing: EntreNos, the farm-to-table spot operating four nights a week out of Tinta y Cafe in Miami Shores, will end service at the end of June.
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
My petty gripe: save your leisurely ramble for the park and pick up the pace in the city
There are two things in life guaranteed to put me in a bad mood. Starting the day in pouring rain, and getting stuck behind slow walkers. I've always had a fast stride. I cut the estimated walk-time on Google Maps by at least a third. I was nicknamed 'spidergirl' in my netball team because I had long arms and long legs. A friend once piped up to say she had broken into a light jog just to keep up with me. I don't even realise I'm doing it. Dawdlers are like cars that refuse to pull into the slow lane. They have no spatial awareness as I try to weave around them without knocking anyone over, wasting seconds of my life I will never get back. On pavements crowded with commuters or people heading to the beach on a summer's day, I am frequently forced into the gutter as I outpace them. To top it off, they like to give me some side-eye as I pass. But Miranda Priestly rings in my ears: 'By all means, move at a glacial place, you know how that thrills me.' The slow walker reaches peak obstruction on approach to public transport, where getting stuck behind one can actually stop me getting the next train, bus or metro. If you are in Grand Central station or Gare de Lyon, by all means stop to marvel, but everyone else should move through subway gates and underground tunnels at pace. They are also rife in the supermarket, ambling, turning this way and that, on the phone, with their trolleys, listless. 'Can't you just relax?' you may be thinking. I can stroll at leisure when I choose. Talking to a friend, walking a dog, pacing same block 10 times to avoid a wind tunnel while on the phone. But when I've got places to be or coffee to get, I walk with purpose. You don't have to live life in the fast lane. You can be enjoying your 11-minute health walk or be running an errand. But please keep up.
